Wolfpack operations

Attacks on this boat and other events

16 Sep 1942An American B-24 Liberator from Ascension Island piloted by James D. Harden discovered U-156 on the surface engaged in the rescue of over a thousand survivors from her sinking of HMS Laconia. U-156, having earlier radioed that she would not attack any ship assisting, displayed a large red cross in the hope that American forces would hold off attacking. Harden described the situation to his base and was ordered "Sink sub", after which he launched an attack which damaged the boat. U-156 radioed this information to BdU and sailed west to repair the damage. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 62.)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

12 Sep 1942. On 12 September 1942 U-156 sank the British liner Laconia west of Africa in what has become known as the Laconia Incident.

Men lost from the boat

16 Feb 1942U-156 began to shell the oil refinery at Aruba in the Caribbean, but the gun crew forgot to remove the water plug from the barrel, causing an explosion that killed one man [Matrosengefreiter Heinrich Büssinger]. The gunnery officer [II WO Leutnant zur See Dietrich von dem Borne, see right] lost his right leg in this incident, and so had to be put ashore into captivity at Martinique on 21 February. The commander decided to saw off the ruined portion of the gun barrel, and using this shorter barrel, on 27 February U-156 sank a 2,498-ton British steamer.

There was another U-156 in World War OneThat boat was launched from its shipyard on 17 Apr 1917 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 22 Aug 1917. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 156 during WWI.